Houston Matters
Houston Matters

Houston Matters

Houston Public Media

Overview
Episodes

Details

Houston Matters is a radio program airing weekdays at 9 am on Houston Public Media News 88.7 FM in Houston. During each hour, we’ll investigate the issues and ideas, people and places that make Houston…well…Houston! We’ll talk about current events, politics, education, health care, the environment, business, transportation, arts and culture, literature, sports and leisure. But we also hope that what we do each day on Houston Matters serves as the beginning of a conversation — one we hope you’ll continue here, at home, at work, with family, with friends and neighbors. We hope to introduce Houstonians to one another, to celebrate our diversity, and to engage one another through stories and conversations that demonstrate depth and context. Just the sort of thing you count on from public media.

Recent Episodes

Concern among Afghan immigrants (Dec. 12, 2025)
DEC 12, 2025
Concern among Afghan immigrants (Dec. 12, 2025)

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On Friday's show: President Donald Trump has frozen the processing of immigration requests for all Afghans pending a review of security and vetting procedures. Now, many Afghan immigrants, including many in Houston who came to the United States through the appropriate legal channels, are growing increasingly worried about their status.

And we learn about a cold front arriving late Saturday that could bring Houston's first freeze of the season early Monday morning.

Also this hour: From a State Department policy change involving fonts, to the debut of the world’s longest commercial flight route, to In-N-Out Burger doing away with 2025’s most annoying outburst, our non-experts consider The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.

And we meet Angolan-born, Houston-based singer Vivalda Ndula, who blends traditional rhythms with Afro-contemporary sounds. But her music does more than entertain. It also confronts inequality, celebrates resilience, and uplifts unheard voices.

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51 MIN
Reducing trash in Houston (Dec. 11, 2025)
DEC 11, 2025
Reducing trash in Houston (Dec. 11, 2025)

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On Thursday's show: We examine steps Texas is taking to reduce waste and other takeaways from a new report called: Trash in America.

 Also this hour: We talk with Brad Pritchett, the new CEO of Equality Texas, the statewide nonprofit advocating for LGBTQIA+ Texans.

And we learn about a new documentary chronicling the Bum Phillips era of the old Houston Oilers, called Luv Ya, Bum!

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50 MIN
Holiday shopping trends (Dec. 9, 2025)
DEC 9, 2025
Holiday shopping trends (Dec. 9, 2025)

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On Tuesday's show: As Houstonians prepare for the holidays, new data shows they're planning to cut spending by 11 percent compared to last year, with the average person expecting to spend around $1,600. Yet, despite this local pessimism, online sales during the five-day Cyber Week period hit $44.2 billion nationally, up nearly 8 percent from last year. We make sense of those seemingly contradictory trends.

Also this hour: We get an update on the longstanding nationwide nursing shortage and find out how area universities are responding to a shortage of nursing educators as well.

Then, we reflect on why former Astros star Ken Caminiti admitted he’d used steroids long before anyone else did and the demons that led to his untimely death, which are the subject of a book by journalist Dan Good, called Playing Through the Pain.

And Houston native director Alex Stapleton talks with us about her new Netflix docuseries Sean Combs: The Reckoning

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49 MIN
Traffic deaths outnumbering homicides (Dec. 8, 2025)
DEC 8, 2025
Traffic deaths outnumbering homicides (Dec. 8, 2025)

A mint green skyline against a dark blue background with the words Houston Matters with Craig Cohen in white

On Monday's show: Colin Allred is dropping out of next year’s U.S. Senate race and is running for Congress instead. That is just the latest move ahead of today’s filing deadline, and after Supreme Court approval of the new Texas Congressional maps. We consider what other scrambling we might see today and what it all means for longtime members of Congress from here in Houston and elsewhere in Texas who have hard decisions to make.

Also this hour: We discuss why the Houston metro area is one of a handful in the nation with more traffic deaths last year than homicides and what if anything can be done about it.

Then, Meg Tapp from the Garden Club of Houston answers questions about how to maintain the plants in your home or garden.

And we discuss the latest developments in Houston sports with Jeff Balke.

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49 MIN